American Masters: Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future

American Masters: Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future is a biographical documentary from 2016. This gripping exploration of architectural brilliance and innovation stars Eric Saarinen, son of Eero, Jayne Merkel, an architectural historian, and Paul Goldberger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning critic.

The film delves into the life and work of the Finnish American architect and industrial designer, Eero Saarinen. Recognized universally as one of the 20th century's foremost architects, Saarinen's work can still be seen dotted across the United States. His iconic structures—like the TWA Terminal at JFK Airport in New York, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Ingalls Rink (Yale University Hockey Rink) in New Haven, Connecticut—continue to inspire architects and designers alike.

Exemplifying Saarinen's motto of "Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context — a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan," the film delves deep into Saarinen's attention to detail, and his revolutionary approaches to design. Using modern technology, including drone footage and 3D scanning, the viewers can appreciate up close the genius of Saarinen's designs, their grandiose scales, innovative structure, and relation to their environment.

Eric's personal perspective adds an intimate note to the documentary. Not just Saarinen's son, Eric also worked as a co-cinematographer for the documentary, allowing him to embark on an introspective search into his father's work and their strained relationship. The film provides a tastefully compelling and bittersweet portrayal of Saarinen's career, unsustainable work habits, family life, and legacy.

Featuring interviews from prominent architectural historians, critics, architects, and contemporaries of Saarinen, the film takes viewers on an engaging journey through the extraordinary vision and innovation of Saarinen’s life. Jayne Merkel and Paul Goldberger, for instance, offer expert comments, helping us comprehend the significance and the influence of Saarinen's work in the realm of architecture.

Beyond just surveying Saarinen's architectural philosophy and accomplishments, the film also focuses on the collaborative nature of architecture. It outlines how Saarinen was able to create brilliant designs alongside talented architects, designers, and clients, showcasing his projects as the combined efforts of many brilliant minds. This dynamic perspective opens up insights into the authenticity, originality, and team-based nature of the creative process.

Furthermore, American Masters: Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future shed light on the challenges, criticism, and controversies that Saarinen faced during his career. His innovative design for the St. Louis Gateway arch, for example, drew both acclaim and criticism for its boldness and structural audacity.

While portraying Saarinen as a genius, the documentary does not shy away from revealing the man behind the art. Through his son's recollections and archival footage, it provides glimpses of his personal life like his immigrant background, his relationship with his father (Eliel Saarinen, another celebrated architect), his marriages, and his untimely demise at the age of 51. His Scandinavian roots profoundly influenced his work and this documentary beautifully brings out this aspect too.

Notably, the film's narrative neither glorifies nor overly critiques Saarinen. Instead, it lays out his life and his influence in architecture, leaving it to the viewers to draw conclusions about Saarinen the man and Saarinen the architect.

American Masters: Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future is an excellent choice for anyone interested in architecture, design, or simply about the story of a visionary who changed the trajectory of modern architecture. Even viewers with no background in the field will find this an engaging visual experience. It provides not just a lens to the past, but also a perspective into how Saarinen's designs continue to shape the world's architectural panorama. It is an inspiring legacy of a man who saw beyond his time and devoted his life to transcending the mundane and establishing the exceptional in design.